First Generation Western Muslims Continue to Follow the Same Old Script
The script goes something like this: 1) get a degree in engineering, medicine, business, or law; 2) complain about how you don’t like what you do; 3) get married and have kids; 4) live a text-book life; 5) grow old and bored; 6) due to boredom, raise a ruckus in your local mosque and anywhere else where you think you’d receive some attention; 7) grow really old and lament about how you wasted life.
Such a script is probably not going to win “best screenplay”, and a director may even use it as toilet paper depending on paper quality. Why then are we recycling it for our own use?
As a first-generation Muslim born and raised in the West, I sometimes cannot help but notice how we continue to remain stagnant in an environment that has so much to offer. More and more Muslims I associate with or talk to seem to be turning into carbon copies of their parents holding the same conservative ideals centered around a stable career, retention of faith and culture, and upholding family values. There is obviously nothing wrong with any of this, however, I do feel that holding a life philosophy based around these criteria alone is not only flawed, it is downright regressive.
Muslims who immigrated here to find a better life were either fleeing persecution by despotic regimes, looking for a better life for their future children, or just wanted a better opportunity to make more money. Whatever the case may be, they did not have the luxury of engaging in the arts, getting involved in politics, or pursuing a passion. They were simply concerned with putting food on the table. In doing so, their life philosophy was simple - career, faith, family.
Unfortunately, due to their own past uncertainty, some of these now successful immigrants forced the very same values upon their children and pressured them to follow certain career paths that were either stable or associated with status, prestige and materialism. There are cases where Muslims have challenged the status-quo, however what I find troubling is many have also internalized this one-dimensional approach to life and are making the same choices subconsciously. The script, it seems, has already been laid out, and it is followed without question.
Furthermore, as first generation Muslims are now finding their way into the job market, it is not a surprise to find that most don’t really like what they do. When I was in school, I had a conversation with a friend that went something like this:
Friend: Hey Zeb, so why didn’t you go into engineering?
Me: I don’t know, never really was interested and I don’t think I would enjoy it even if I got in.
Friend: Nobody enjoys it, you just do it.
Again, I’m not arguing that being practical and safe is faulty practice. On the contrary, one needs a certain level of discipline and preparation to achieve success. However with that said, being too safe and too conservative limits our ability to realize our true potential.
Now there are Muslims who have followed the safe path, but are still involved in the mainstream community by pursuing film, music, poetry, activism, or other interests, but these examples are few and far between. Most Muslims I know are learned and knowledgeable individuals, but there is absolutely no desire on their part to go above and beyond or follow an interest. For example, talking about politics as tableside conversation is what old immigrant parents do, but for some reason we are doing the same thing.
Shouldn’t we as born and bred Canadians be going a step further by walking the talk and getting involved especially in a climate where Muslims and Islam are being targeted more then ever before? Shouldn’t we be engaging with the mainstream community at a greater level rather than limiting our interactions with niche cliques, Muslim-only groups, and Muslim-only initiatives? Shouldn’t we get past the archaic “By Muslims, For Muslims” mentality by now?
Perhaps it will take more than just one generation for us to truly think outside of the box. Until then, the script will continue to replay itself because from the looks of it, we are not running out of film anytime soon.
Hollywood can save on toilet paper in the process.
